Cold Calling Does Not Have to Be Painful

There is a misconception that cold calling is extremely difficult. After several months of cold calling I have come to the realization that a great portion of being successful in this arena is the mindset. Maintaining a positive, non-threatening attitude toward a potential client is key. As they come to realize that you are not out for their firstborn, and your intention is to help the efficiency of the company, their wall of threat will crumble away.

Having an easy to follow script is vital. Keeping to the script is important in helping maintain a clean-cut and concise conversation. We understand that all individuals are busy; even if they are playing a crazy game of solitaire, we want to respect their time. Sticking to the script will keep our aimless babbling to a minimum. Ruining someone’s good solitaire run is never a good idea.

Initial Call

In many cases, having a name and title of an individual tends to melt away as you engage a first call to the place of business. Gatekeepers can turn from a massive threat to a useful ally. As long as there is a department in which you are looking for there is very little you need to do to get to the individual in charge. Ask! If you are friendly and ask kindly, your outcome will be a success. They are the bearer of all secrets, hopes, dreams, loves and hates of the company. Fear not to exploit their “in-tell.” They have items bottled up that want to be shared. You’re in a safe zone. They don’t need to fear your new found knowledge is going to get around the office.

I had a breakthrough in a call I made. I realized while being passed from an operator to an assistant, that  the assistant knows the last name of her boss. Why is it so necessary to restate their last name? You have passed the clutches of one gatekeeper, the second should be a bit more difficult if you approach it correctly. Leave the last name out. Ask to speak with “John” or “Jane”, first name only. Otherwise they will be suspicious of your call, thus sending you into a spiral of questions that may not get you to the decision maker. In addition to using their first name, when asked what your name is, state your first name only. You and John or Jane are “friends;” friends don’t use each other’s last names when trying to get a hold of them.

Reaching the Decision Maker

Cordial or not, they will listen for a moment. Allow them to understand that this is a call of value and they will not be bothered for a long period of time. In that initial sentence the prospect’s senses need to be bursting with intrigue. Create that valuable statement and you will be allotted more time to proceed with more other valuable comments. “Cold Calling” may be a difficult task, but take these simple ideas into consideration and your perception on how to effectively speak with individuals will drastically change.